China's sovereignty claims cover most of the South China Sea, overlapping with those of other regional powers.

A new supergiant species of Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 from Vietnam is described. Bathynomus vaderi sp. nov. is characterised by its wide, rectangular clypeal region with parallel lateral margi...

Scientists have discovered a huge sea bug – a “supergiant” over a foot long weighing more than two pounds. Its head resembles the helmet worn by Darth Vader in Star Wars , so the biologists naturally...

Analysts note shoal’s location ideal for projection of power and call for Manila to strengthen presence in disputed area to counter China.

The article by Diego González explores the complex territorial disputes surrounding the Spratly Islands, a group of tiny, mostly uninhabitable islets and reefs scattered across the South China Sea. Despite their small size, these islands have become a focal point of international tension involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The origins of this modern conflict trace back to centuries of maritime mapping and control, most notably the 1734 Velarde Map, used by the Philippines in legal arguments to assert its maritime claims. The Spratly Islands hold immense strategic and economic significance due to their abundant fishing grounds, potential oil and gas reserves, and their location along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, where about half of global maritime trade passes through the Strait of Malacca. China bases its expansive territorial claims on its 'Nine-Dash Line' map, asserting historical sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea. However, the 2016 Hague Tribunal ruled that China’s claims have no legal basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Beijing, nevertheless, rejected the ruling and continues to build artificial islands with military installations to enforce its control. The Philippines, supported by the United States through a mutual defense treaty, remains a key opponent of Chinese expansion, especially around hotspots like Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal. Vietnam has also expanded its presence by constructing artificial islands and military facilities, intensifying regional competition. The broader dispute ties directly to China’s strategic ambitions and the U.S.’s containment efforts in the Indo-Pacific, making the Spratly Islands a microcosm of 21st-century power struggles.

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The Philippines reported its vessels were damaged after